Zygnema are a
modern groove metal band hailing from Mumbai, India. The band released their
debut record ‘Born of Unity’ in 2010, and have gone on to gain a good following
in the Indian metal scene, because of their heavy,
intense and energy filled live stage acts. Surprisingly, those are the
exact three words that come to mind to describe their new album – ‘What Makes Us Human Is Obsolete’.
The album consists of eight tracks which have been divided
into 3 sub-sections. As it can be guessed from the album title, the album
lyrically deals with human apathy, fascism, and the slow demise of the human
race. This is nothing new, but once again the intensity on the record, makes it
a joy to listen to. ‘Shell Broken Hell Loose’ has some of the most wonderful
chunky groovy riffs on the record, which perfectly complement the double bass
beats on the drums. Mayank Sharma’s drum work stands out throughout the record,
with each beat timed to perfection. ‘The Phoenix Effect’ is another track that
stands out, with some great technical guitar riffs, battling out with the
groovy bass lines.
The thing that holds back the album, is how the band has
confined their sound in a single dimension. As a result the album tends to get
a tad monotonous on future spins. Another short-fall for me are the vocals mix
and production. At times it feels as if the
vocalist is over-reaching to be aggressive, making them slightly hollow as they
take the back-seat in the listener’s head.
Nevertheless, Zygnema have released a solid slab of modern
groove metal. Moreover if their live performances are anything to go by, the band
is just going to conquer more territories. Check out the album, and be ready as hell breaks loose.
